A Bond of Necessity
by Sideslip
Summary: Second story arc of "Bonds Across Cybertron".  Mirage waits for his arranged bonding ceremony which does not turn out how he expects.  Story rated M for arranged bond, issues surrounding slavery, and eventual slash.
1. Chapter 1

Title: A Bond of Necessity (Part 1)  
>Verse: G1 AU<br>Rating: PG  
>Characters: Mirage, Hound, other minor unnamed characters<br>Warnings: arranged bond, slavery  
>Summary: Mirage waits for his arranged bondmate to arrive<p>

Time Reference:  
>astrosecond ~ one second<br>klick ~ one minute  
>joor ~ one hour<br>cycle ~ one day  
>deca-cycle ~ one week<br>orn ~ one month  
>vorn ~ one year<p>

(I do not own Transformers.)

A/N: This story takes place after the events in "A Bond of Convenience". Both of these stories are part of a much larger story ultimately leading to war on Cybertron. The story of Prowl and Jazz will continue to be told in the background. I wanted to post this much sooner but I decided to draft the entire story first so I would know exactly where it was going.

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><p>Mirage waited patiently beside the official selected to preside over his bonding ceremony adorned with all of the ornaments befitting a noble. Intricately crafted metal charms alluringly hung from his plating which had been polished to a mirror shine. His appearance spoke of his proud heritage and the standing of his family. Never had he looked better in his existence. This was a momentous event for Mirage as well as his entire family. Many of the prominent nobles of Iacon were present to witness the ceremony.<p>

The blue and white noble knew it was common for these affairs to start late so he was not concerned. While he waited he thought about his intended bondmate, a noble from a city on the other side of the planet. This was an arranged bond, planned for vorns, and it was strictly for socio-economic reasons. Mirage had known about it since the time he could understand the concepts of relationships, business, and bonds. He had been raised such that there was nothing unusual about this to him. Mirage's family held great status in Iacon but it was not in a powerful economic position. This union would bring financial gain to his family. The other family in Vos had great wealth but far lower status.

Mirage had never met the mech from Vos but he knew a good deal about the winged noble. He was curious to meet his arranged bondmate but he currently had no feelings for Starscream. That didn't mean he would treat his new bondmate coldly. He simply held no illusions about the realities of an arranged bond. He was sure that with time they would get to know one another and hopefully gain a mutual contentment with the other and eventually produce an heir. He had plans to woo his bondmate, not out of love, but out of obligation to see to his bondmate's comfort and respect for the alliance this bond represented. If he was fortunate, love would come later. If it did not, that was not unexpected. One element in their favor of happiness was that Mirage and Starscream did truly share some interests. Not many, but enough to begin building a relationship and have a starting point for conversation.

Mirage noticed a small commotion at the back of the room and frowned slightly. His sire and carrier slipped from their seats and exited through the grand doors of the ornate room of their home lavishly decorated for this ceremony. The soon-to-be-bonded noble watched them leave and continued waiting for a few klicks. His upbringing as a high-status noble demanded that he maintain proper decorum at all times when others were watching so he smoothed the frown from his faceplates and replaced it with a neutral expression. The doors opened again and his creators entered the room with surprisingly unpleasant expressions on their faceplates. A lone mech followed them – a courier.

Mirage's creators returned to the front of the room followed by the courier. They all then turned to face the assembled guests. His sire gestured to the courier who held a sealed message pad in his servo. In a steady voice the courier announced, "I have been ordered to bring this sealed message pad to Lord Mirage, open it in his presence, and read the contents before him and all observers." The courier then broke the seal and began to read aloud with the authority of an official messenger:

_To Lord Mirage from Lord Starscream,_

_I send my courier to deliver this message as it would not be appropriate for me to deliver it personally. I am calling off our bonding ceremony because I have found love with another._

The room filled with excited whispers as the guests observed the unfolding drama. Bonding ceremonies among the nobility were rare enough, having one fail to materialize would provide gossip for orns. The courier frowned but kept reading with a voice that carried to every part of the room:

_To keep to the terms agreed to by our creators, I instead offer to you my slave, the courier Hound, in my place._

The courier stopped reading with a look of horror on his faceplates. It was painfully obvious that he had no prior knowledge of the contents of the message he had been commanded to deliver. He looked up visibly trembling at Mirage's sire. "Keep reading," the stern mech said firmly.

_The documents to transfer ownership of Hound to you are attached along with authorization for the transfer of funds which was to take place at the conclusion of our bonding ceremony. Additional concessions favorable to your position are included all of which will take effect upon the completion of the bonding ceremony to Hound. Congratulations on your bond and your new financial position._

With downcast optics Hound handed the message pad to Mirage. Silence filled the vast room. It was a credit to the courier that he did not turn and flee but it was clear that he was completely at a loss for what to do next.

Mirage stared dumbly at the message pad. The bonding ceremony with the mech he had expected was broken off for love? He was now saddled with a common slave? Slavery was not permitted in Iacon. There were places on Cybertron where slavery still existed but all were free in Iacon. Mirage's family had servants but they were actually paid staff. Although slavery was not allowed in Iacon, there were rules governing the handling of slaves from other areas. He quickly read through the attachments on the message pad. At that moment Hound technically belonged to him but in accordance with the laws of Iacon the courier would gain his freedom once they were pronounced bondmates. The author of the documents arranging for this transaction clearly understood the laws regarding slavery and was using them to push him into this situation. It was unclear why Hound was being forced upon him in this manner. Something else was going on and Mirage intensely disliked being made a pawn in someone else's power game even though that was exactly how his own family was using him now.

Hound stood before Mirage and his creators trying hard to keep from shaking. He had been unaware that his master had no intention of proceeding with the ceremony. He had learned long ago to never ask questions about Starscream's business dealings or personal activities. For all he knew, he was delivering a message announcing his master's imminent arrival. He was smart though and understood his situation. His master was free to do whatever he saw fit with Hound. Being a courier gave him some freedoms to move about but he also saw the grim reality of life as a slave. He knew that he could be used in any fashion. Fortunately, his master never used him for physical pleasure or contracted him out for such purposes. He had seen that happen to other slaves and was glad that his plain appearance seemed to keep him from that particular fate. Yet here he was basically being sold to another as a token bondmate to fulfill a contract. He had expected to one day be presented with a bondmate solely for the purpose of having him produce more slaves just as he had been sparked into slavery. This was a most unexpected turn of events and one which he was not prepared to deal with.

"This is a bond of necessity and you will take it." The words of Mirage's sire broke into the thoughts of both mechs. "Mirage, you are to take this mech Hound," he said with obvious distaste, "and bond with him to fulfill the agreements of this contract." He turned to the courier looking down at the common-framed drab-green mech and spoke in a tone that left no room for argument. "At this moment, you belong to Mirage. Since slavery is not permitted in Iacon, your freedom will be granted upon the completion of the bonding ceremony. Take your place beside Mirage."

Hound bowed his helm in acknowledgement. He was still a slave and was required to obey. He turned and stepped onto the small raised podium where his bondmate stood. He caught sight of the stunningly beautiful mech beside him but did not raise his optics to meet those of the other. He was still a slave and it was not his place to behave in a manner other than complete submission. He was aware of the stiff posture of his bondmate and certainly did not blame Mirage for how he must have felt. He was still a slave and it was unlikely his bondmate would ever be able to see him as something more.

The ceremony proceeded with all of the planned pageantry. As a courier Hound had seen enough bonding ceremonies among the nobility to know what was expected and was able to perform his role without prompting although it was without the practiced moves of his bondmate. Finally, after reluctantly joining servos, the official announced Mirage and Hound legally bonded. Mirage and his family gained considerable wealth and business opportunity the moment the pronouncement took place. Funds were transferred and contracts automatically took effect. Hound gained his freedom that cycle but he knew he had only traded one form of slavery for another.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: A Bond of Necessity (Part 2)  
>Verse: G1 AU<br>Rating: PG  
>Characters: Mirage, Hound, other minor unnamed characters<br>Warnings: arranged bond, slavery  
>Summary: Hound attends his own reception<p>

Thank you to everyone who placed an alert on this story. Also, special thanks to the following for sending reviews: MyNameIsJag, Flyby Stardancer, naggingfishwife, Trickster91, Crazygrrl XD, and Sounddrive. I was surprised to find there were not many HoundxMirage stories out there (and I agree there should be more).

Time Reference:  
>astrosecond ~ one second<br>klick ~ one minute  
>joor ~ one hour<br>cycle ~ one day  
>deca-cycle ~ one week<br>orn ~ one month  
>vorn ~ one year<p>

(I do not own Transformers.)

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><p>Hound stood quietly in the place of honor in the grand ballroom with a cube of high grade in one servo. Following his bonding ceremony to Mirage, he had been guided here. Outwardly he appeared calm taking a few small sips from his cube as he watched the reception before him. Inwardly he never felt so self-conscious and out-of-place in his entire existence.<p>

A few of the gathered guests looked at the former slave and nodded slightly at him but no one spoke to him. That gave him plenty of time to simply watch the crowd as they enjoyed the high grade and gossip, both of which were in abundance. Hound was already well aware of how shallow these events were with their focus on appearances and social contacts but being the reason for the gossip was almost unbearable. He wished he could leave but he had been instructed in no uncertain terms by Mirage's sire that he was to remain in his place, on display, before the assembled guests. It was a complete mockery but being a former slave Hound knew his place so he quietly endured the humiliation. He certainly was not what had been expected and he could clearly see he was not desired by his legal bondmate. This was evidenced by the fact that Mirage was not at his side but across the room. The noble stood proudly gracefully sipping his high grade as he spoke to guests. He did not look happy but wore the neutral expression of a mech that had attended formal functions since he was a youngling and knew how to behave. Likewise, the courier tried not to show his discomfort at the situation. He was now free but his upbringing as a slave demanded that he do nothing that would embarrass his bondmate. He struggled not to think of Mirage as his master although that would have made it easier for Hound.

Hound wondered what path his existence would now take. He stood as a free mech for the first time ever but he was held captive in this unexpected bond. He would be expected to attend every formal event that Mirage did even if he simply stood ignored in a corner. He would be expected to be faithful to Mirage. He had every intention to do so, taking the bond very seriously, but he quietly despaired that he would never have the opportunity to interface again or have the hope of falling in love. Hound paused on that thought. Mirage was very attractive and Hound knew he wouldn't be able to help falling in love with him. He despaired that his feelings would never be returned. He had been a slave and now he was merely the fulfillment of a contract. He watched his bondmate across the room being careful not to stare. The blue and white noble moved with such grace and ease. He was so very pleasing to the optics. Hound looked down at the floor and was saddened that he had ruined the existence of this beautiful being. Mirage should have been happy at his own reception instead of treating it as another mandatory social function.

He couldn't help but think of the events in Praxus. Lord Prowl had bonded to a commoner, the musician Jazz. The details about how that had occurred were not known but gossip from Praxus was that the two mechs were madly in love with one another. He didn't know how Jazz had won Prowl's spark but he knew he didn't have either Jazz's looks with his graceful frame and mysterious visor or his singing voice. He was certain those attributes must have at least helped. By contrast, Hound had a simply boxy frame, plain color, and no special talents expect for the ability to navigate efficiently through all types of terrain. None of those qualities would have any attraction for a mech such as Mirage. He wondered if he would be locked away until his presence was required spending the remainder of his time in solitude.

After several joors Mirage worked his way across the room to quietly announce to his creators that he was retiring. With scarcely a glance at Hound he quietly commanded, "Follow me." Hound fell into place behind his bondmate and did not look up at anyone as they exited the ballroom.

The noble led the former slave through the halls he called home until they reached a door which apparently was the entrance to Mirage's suite. "This will be your home now," he said flatly. He gave Hound an access code and allowed him to try it to be sure it worked. The door unlocked with an audible click and with only a brief hesitation, he opened the door and stepped into the room. He moved off to the side giving Mirage plenty of space to enter the room and shut the door. Hound was suddenly fearful. What if this noble was the type of mech that enjoyed casual interfaces and wanted to race through Hound's circuits just for the thrill? That wasn't Hound's style but he would submit to his bondmate's desires. He did not have to like anything that his bondmate did; he only had to submit without complaint.

Mirage said nothing but stepped away into another room. Hound hadn't been told to follow so he stood quietly for a time with his optics downcast before gaining the courage to look up and scan his surroundings. He was standing in a comfortable but minimally decorated sitting room. A small alcove to one side held a selection of energon in case one wished to refuel in private. A room off of the sitting room contained a small office. The last room was clearly the berthroom. He approached it slowly and peered inside but did not go in. His bondmate was on the large and comfortable looking berth already in recharge. He looked around the dim room noting a spacious washrack through an open door at the back of the room.

He stood there looking at the resting noble unsure what to do. He wondered if he should climb into the berth but immediately decided against it. His optics roved over the trim form. His bondmate was still adorned with ornaments and he had to resist the urge to go over and touch them. Instead he returned to the sitting area and stretched out on the couch.

This was not how he had imagined spending the night of his bonding ceremony. He truthfully had not expected to interface since he had always thought he would be presented with a fellow slave he hadn't met before as a bondmate. Still, he had expected to at least spend the first night in a berth with his bondmate being able to talk and getting to know the one given to him.

He stretched and began to cycle down his systems. He was actually relieved that Mirage had fallen into recharge since it meant Hound did not have to deal with awkward conversation until the next cycle. He also knew now that Mirage would not press physical issues but that reminded Hound once again that both of them were sentenced to functioning without intimacy. He was tired and the couch was more comfortable than his slave berth so he quickly fell into recharge before he could think any more about the worst cycle of his existence.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: A Bond of Necessity (Part 3)  
>Verse: G1 AU<br>Rating: PG  
>Characters: Mirage and Hound<br>Warnings: slavery references  
>Summary: Hound is ashamed of his past as a slave and it heavily influences his interaction with Mirage<p>

Time Reference:  
>astrosecond ~ one second<br>klick ~ one minute  
>joor ~ one hour<br>cycle ~ one day  
>deca-cycle ~ one week<br>orn ~ one month  
>vorn ~ one year<p>

(I do not own Transformers.)

A/N: Thank you to the following for their kind reviews: naggingfishwife, Flyby Stardancer, Sounddrive, ancara-iii, Crazygrrl XD, Darkeyes17, MyNameIsJag, Felina Fullstop, and mmouse15. I am glad this arc is being well-received and I hope it continues to meet with expectations. The arc will be 12 chapters and updated approximately once per week.

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><p>Hound's systems slowly powered up and he wondered why he hadn't heard a signal to rouse him. He was reluctant to online his optics because he was quite comfortable. A soft sound nearby caught his attention so he powered up his optics and looked over to see Mirage sitting in a chair holding an energon cube watching him carefully.<p>

Hound was suddenly very conscious of the attention focused upon him and scrambled to sit up. He saw a second energon cube on the table between them and the noble waved a servo at it so he gratefully took it and relished the smooth mid-grade it contained. Refueling kept him occupied for a bit so he could try to put his thoughts in order.

He thought about the previous cycle and how his existence had changed dramatically with just a few brief sentences on a data pad. The previous cycle he had onlined as a slave, this cycle he onlined as a free mech but he was trapped in a bond he never anticipated. Never had he imagined he would share a bond with a free mech, much less a noble.

The two mechs sat silently gazing at one another's frames not yet willing to look the other in the optics. Hound took the opportunity to again admire the noble sitting before him. Mirage's frame was finely constructed with elegant lines and exceptional materials. The smooth plates would undoubtedly feel wonderful and he wondered where the mech's hot spots would be. He shook himself slightly and reminded himself of his far more humble and less desirable appearance. He looked up when he heard Mirage clear his vocalizer. "Do you have any idea why your master has done this?" he asked bluntly.

Hound shook his helm. "No, Lord Mirage." He still did not look into the optics of his bondmate.

"I suspect there is much more going on here than is readily apparent," the noble said quietly. "My bonding was to have benefitted by family in economic terms but it was also intended to solidify political alliances. Are you sure you have no information which would shed some light on this situation?"

The smooth cultured voice caressed Hound's audios and he had to concentrate on listening to the words not just the voice. "No. My owner never allowed me to be privy to his transactions, business or otherwise, my lord." Although the subject of their conversation was unpleasant, he could listen to his bondmate's voice no matter what was said.

Silence fell between them again. Hound may not have known the motives of his former master but he was smart enough to understand what Mirage was talking about. The fact that the regal noble had not bonded to Hound's master changed the political balance of the nobility of Cybertron and it was not yet clear what the results would be.

"Lord Mirage," Hound said softly, "I really had no idea. This is a complete shock to me."

The noble looked at the former slave as though searching for answers. Finally he said, "I believe you." He shifted uneasily. "We'll have to discuss the situation before us," he said referring to their bond.

Hound decided to be straightforward. "I cherish the ideals of bonding, Lord Mirage. I will do whatever you request and do my best to not embarrass you." He would remain silent in public if required. He would even remain silent in private if his bondmate wished. He was determined to take up as little of the noble's attention as possible to avoid the painful reminder of the shame of their bond.

Mirage wasn't sure what to say. He had half-expected Hound to join him in the berth to get some recharge. If he had bonded with Starscream as expected, he would have recharged beside the Vosnian. When he powered up and saw that his bondmate wasn't beside him, he went looking. When he saw Hound recharging on the couch he realized the mech still thought of himself as a slave. His declaration proved the point. Mirage was embarrassed but not by Hound. He heard the whispers at the reception. Poor noble Mirage was stuck with a former slave. His family still held great political influence and now had great wealth but Mirage's social standing had gone to the Pit. Even though this was Mirage's world and he had been raised as a proud noble, he knew just how shallow it really was. He was frightened that he had been paired with a mech that didn't fit into those expectations, frightened that the optics that finally glanced toward his own were filled with honesty and openness. Such a thing was almost unheard of among the Towers populace. He really got scared when he realized Hound might be the best thing that had ever happened to him. How could he possibly woo such a mech?

Hound began to get nervous when the mech before him appeared to go into deep thought at the statement he had made. Perhaps he had said the wrong thing? Maybe Mirage thought he was too eager to please? Panic began to flood his processor because he knew he was completely out of his element. He had no idea that Mirage was not repulsed by him.

The noble noticed the struggle of his bondmate but was at a loss for how to soothe him. He was used to mechs hiding behind masks of neutral expressions. He had to try something. "Do you like to read?" he abruptly asked.

Hound's optics flickered at the question. It was unexpected but he decided to go along with it. "Yes, Lord Mirage." Being trained as a courier had included learning how to read and it was something he enjoyed outside of his official duties.

The noble didn't really want his bondmate to address him by his title but for now he let it go deciding it might give Hound a bit of familiar structure. He stood and beckoned the other mech into the office where a shelf held a number of book files. "You are welcome to read any of these you like." He paused awkwardly, "We have time to spend together, as is normal after a bonding ceremony. We can relax and read."

Hound appreciated the effort and relaxed a bit at the suggestion of a neutral activity for them. He eagerly searched through the book files but his enthusiasm faded slightly as he scanned the titles. Finally, so as to not appear ungrateful, he selected a volume on Cybertronian history and dipped his helm in thanks to the noble. Mirage selected a book file of his own and they returned to their seats in the sitting room. Hound opened his book file and began to read glad to actually be doing something.

Mirage settled into his chair and began reading a book file of classic plays. He had always enjoyed this particular volume. After a while, he looked up and noticed his bondmate's optics looking at his book file but he clearly wasn't reading. "Is something wrong?" he asked with a bit of alarm.

"What? Oh, no, nothing," Hound mumbled fidgeting with his book file squirming under the noble's stare. "I just. I'm not." He sighed, "I just can't seem to get into this book file." He set it down on the table and stared at his pedes.

The courier obviously knew how to read and he had seemed happy with the idea of reading. It took a few astroseconds to guess what was wrong. Fixing his gaze on the green mech he softly asked, "What kinds of things do you like to read?" He knew he had asked the right question when Hound fidgeted nervously but remained silent, likely out of fear of offending him. "It's okay," he quietly reassured, "I want to know."

The former slave knew he had to answer the question. "I like to read adventures and mysteries." Neither of those types of book files was on the shelf in the office. Hound looked miserable at admitting to his preferences when they were not available.

Mirage had been raised in a world where no one ever showed what they were really feeling. Compassion was not shown to others. Life in the Towers was cold and vicious. Mirage knew how to play those games and was known to be just as cold as any other noble living in the Towers. He knew his fellow nobles would expect him to treat Hound as little more than an afterthought. Mirage had done many sparkless deeds and had been cruel to others just as they had treated him. He looked at Hound and decided it was time for him to change. He might not be able to change the attitude of the others around him but he could strive to treat Hound with the respect he deserved. He sincerely hoped that his bondmate would understand how difficult it would be for him to go against everything he had learned to that point.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: A Bond of Necessity (Part 4)  
>Verse: G1 AU<br>Rating: PG  
>Characters: Mirage and Hound<br>Warnings: none  
>Summary: Mirage begins to court Hound<p>

Time Reference:  
>astrosecond ~ one second<br>klick ~ one minute  
>joor ~ one hour<br>cycle ~ one day  
>deca-cycle ~ one week<br>orn ~ one month  
>vorn ~ one year<p>

(I do not own Transformers.)

A/N: Special thanks to the following who reviewed Part 3: Sounddrive, Birdiebot, Darkeyes17, nerwenadanedhel, Crazygrrl XD, mmouse15 Flyby Stardancer (thank you for catching the error), and sunnysides! The last part did have an awkward ending which didn't seem so bad when I wrote it but once I read the comments I realized that it wasn't what I had hoped. I'm not too sure if this chapter ends much better but the plot moves along a bit as Mirage does begin to court Hound!

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><p>Hound stood still looking at the stack of book files in his servos with open amazement on his faceplates. Mirage had taken him to a shop in downtown Iacon and encouraged him to choose some of his own book files. No one had ever given him anything before that was not a necessity. He had been well-maintained as a slave but he had never been treated to any extras. He now held four book files, two adventures and two mysteries and was looking forward to reading them. He was going to take his time and savor them like fine energon.<p>

Thinking about savoring things, Hound looked up and watched as Mirage completed his transaction with the street vendor selling energon confections. Mirage tucked away the treats along with his own book files. Hound noted that he had selected more classics. They were not what he would really be interested in but he was grateful his bondmate had allowed him to get his own book files. He had been a bit confused when Mirage even did his best to suggest some titles to Hound. He hoped that the noble would tolerate him and he was surprised at the kindness shown to him.

Out of habit Hound followed Mirage instead of walking beside him. It did give him the opportunity to study his bondmate. His gait was even and graceful with a masterfully constructed frame which was strong and of course beautiful to gaze upon. He did not noticed the occasional look sent their way as others wondered about the situation that would bring a noble and a commoner together.

As Mirage walked toward home he was a bit disturbed that Hound would not walk with him but he hoped in time that would change. He did notice the looks send their way and he had decided that he did not care. There was no amount of gossip that could exceed what had been generated at his bonding ceremony. He was glad they were in Iacon where all citizens were free. He knew that Hound had not been mistreated as a slave but he couldn't help but wonder at how grateful he had been over a few book files. He noticed that his bondmate held them almost reverently and perhaps a bit afraid that they would be snatched away from him if he failed to meet expectations. He pondered this for a bit and then realized that living in the Towers in Iacon was a form of slavery in itself so he really was not all that different from Hound. Suddenly he was glad that he had this mech. He worked to see past appearances and began to appreciate the open honesty of the mech himself. Here was a mech that was grateful for small pleasures and Mirage was determined to learn from him. He wasn't sure how to express all of these thoughts just yet to his bondmate but the book files were a start.

Soon they reached the Towers and their residence. They entered their now shared suite and settled into the sitting room. Hound looked at the covers of his book files seemingly unsure which to read first or even if he was actually allowed to read them. "Hound," Mirage began, "before you settle down to read, I want you to do something."

A brief look of apprehension crossed Hound's faceplates. This was it. Something was expected in exchange for the book files. Whatever it was, he would do it. Willing himself to keep his vocalizer steady he said, "Yes, Lord Mirage?"

Mirage felt his spark squeeze behind his chestplates. He had seen slaves before although his interactions with them had been extremely limited. He knew many were not treated nearly as well as Hound. He also knew the look that had flashed across the green mech's faceplates. Hound was afraid of what would be required of him. "First of all, Hound, when we are alone, you can call me Mirage. No title, understand?"

"Yes, Lor-," the former slave began and then corrected himself. "Yes, Mirage." It was astonishing how difficult it was to obey that particular request. He felt as though he was being disrespectful and the only way his processor could handle it was to treat the request as a command. That caused his slave-specific subroutines to settle and he was able to concentrate on what his bondmate said next.

"Second," Mirage reached for the energon confections he had purchased earlier. "Have a treat." He held out two treats allowing Hound to choose first. He smiled to himself about how he was starting this courtship with book files and confections. If he had tried doing this with a fellow noble he would be mocked for being so common in his affections but with Hound it just felt right.

Hound looked at the treats, relieved to see that Mirage had selected some of the less elaborate treats which had been available. He was stunned at the simple choice before him. He had never been offered an energon confection before. He had tasted them after parties in his master's home in Vos but this was entirely different. He had first choice and he didn't have to fight his fellow slaves for a taste of decadence. He selected the one with a bit less decoration on it and cautiously bit into it. It tasted better than any he had before but he wasn't sure if it was because they were of better quality or the setting in which it was consumed. He watched as Mirage enjoyed his own treat and then settled into his chair to read one of his new book files. When Mirage said nothing more, Hound finished his treat and then selected one of the adventure book files and began to read.

The silence did not bother Hound. He knew he was not being ignored but rather given an opportunity to enjoy the quiet pleasure of reading. He decided that the best way he could please his bondmate would be to read his novel and enjoy every single word. He would enjoy every kindness Mirage had to offer and try not to think about the vague feeling that his bondmate might be trying to court him. That couldn't possibly happen when Mirage was so beautiful and Hound was not.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: A Bond of Necessity (Part 5)  
>Verse: G1 AU<br>Rating: M  
>Characters: Mirage and Hound<br>Warnings: discussion about slavery, washrack scene  
>Summary: Mirage has Hound accompany him on a turbofox hunt<p>

Time Reference:  
>astrosecond ~ one second<br>klick ~ one minute  
>joor ~ one hour<br>cycle ~ one day  
>deca-cycle ~ one week<br>orn ~ one month  
>vorn ~ one year<p>

(I do not own Transformers.)

A/N: I was stunned by the reviews and alerts this past week. Special thanks to the following: ancara-iii, Darkeyes17, naggingfishwife, steelcrash, Sounddrive, Crazygrrl XD, Birdiebot, mmouse15, BoredTech, sunnysides, ShiTiger, bRamble Girl, The Bottled Optimist, and Flyby Stardancer. You are all awesome! The plot starts to pick up the pace this chapter. Longer chapter this week, too.

* * *

><p>"Hound, please come with me." Mirage's voice was gentle as he interrupted his bondmate from his reading. It had been three cycles since they got their book files and they had spent much of the time in comfortable silence reading to their own tastes. They began to talk to each other some during that time. It had started very awkwardly but gradually they began to relax and share about themselves. Mirage was interested in learning about Hound even though it meant learning quite a bit about the darker side of life on Cybertron. Mirage had honestly never given much thought to the issue of slavery. He simply accepted it as a way of life. Hound had been treated well for a slave but it was still a far cry from the life Mirage had experienced. Slaves were regarded as mere property so there were no charges of abuse. No one ever got in trouble for kicking a table or a chair if they were upset and it was no different with slaves. He was shocked to learn how many slaves were abused and that some were forced to provide pleasure to their masters against their will. Mirage had carefully asked if Hound had been forced to provide pleasure to others and had been comforted finding out the he had not.<p>

Hound was a bit reluctant to ask too many questions about Mirage believing it to be out of place for him. Mirage helped as best he could by telling Hound about his life and even shared a few of his thoughts about how stifling the life of a noble could be. He was a proud Towers mech but for the sake of his bondmate he took care not to brag about his life and how well-off he was. Instead, he tried to impress upon Hound that he was glad he could now share it with someone but it appeared that his bondmate did not believe him.

They walked out of the Towers and then transformed to vehicle mode to travel out of the city. The further they traveled the fewer structures were around until they were out in the vast barren region between Iacon and Praxus. "What are we doing, Mirage?" Hound asked. He doubted they were traveling to Praxus. His engine stuttered when he realized he had asked a question unbidden. Such behavior would have merited harsh discipline from Starscream. He was at a complete loss as to what compelled him to even ask about the noble's intentions.

Mirage did not seem bothered by the question. If anything, he seemed pleased that Hound had spoken to him without prompting first. Transforming back into root mode, he looked at the courier. He smiled and said, "Hunting turbofoxes."

Of course, being owned by a noble Hound was very familiar with turbofox hunts but he certainly did not like them. He would have rather just let the beasts be to themselves and not bother them. He shifted nervously and summoned the courage to speak fully believing he would be punished for what he was about to say. "I don't mind doing something that you like, Mirage, but I'm afraid this isn't something I would really want to do."

Mirage had noticed the look on his bondmate's faceplates before he even spoke so he had guessed that the courier had a soft spot for the wild creatures. Mirage thought on this and tried to figure out how to explain his intentions to Hound. "Do you like turbofoxes?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, they are beautiful wild little creatures," the courier said without thinking.

"You were a courier, so you are well experienced traveling through all types of terrain, are you not?" The noble already knew the answer to the question but he was trying to lead the conversation to a specific point.

"Yes," the green mech answered, deciding that he would have to participate in this activity whether he liked it or not in order to please his bondmate. He had already decided the conversation was over when he heard Mirage continue.

The elegant blue and white mech said with a charming smile, "Come help me track some turbofoxes." He started off and Hound reluctantly began to follow. Turning his helm he softly spoke again, "I never said we would kill them. I was thinking we could just watch them."

Hound stopped in his tracks and wondered at this mech he was bonded to. He did not fit into the image of a snobbish noble at all. It was almost as if he really did care for Hound. He wondered if that was truly possible or merely wishful thinking. After all, what slave didn't fantasize about being purchased by a noble only to have the master fall in love with the slave, set the slave free, and then for the couple to bond and forever be happy together? Slaves were never bonded with nobles and the fact that it had actually happened to Hound made him believe he was reading too much into his bondmate's actions. Instead, he shook off the thought and took the lead in tracking the turbofoxes guiding Mirage through the rough terrain not noticing the pleased look on the noble's faceplates.

They quietly tracked through the wasteland, not speaking but signaling by servos to keep all audible communications to a minimum. The quickly learned to work well together in this manner and after a while Hound finally found a trail. They followed it slowly and eventually came to a small area where they spied a family of turbofoxes playing together. Together they crouched silently behind an abandoned structure and watched as the pups scuffled and nipped while their carrier kept the peace when the play got too rough. Hound had never seen such a sight and was fascinated. Most of the time getting this close to the wild creatures meant dead turbofoxes. Hound just watched, failing to notice that he himself was being watched as he simply enjoying being able to take in the amazing sight of a family of turbofoxes in their natural environment. His processor wandered a bit and realized he had Mirage to thank for this. He could certainly enjoy this kind of hunting with his bondmate. He turned his helm to look at the noble only to see golden optics looking right into his own. He shifted nervously under the scrutiny and the sound of his movement put the carrier turbofox on alert. Hound looked back at the creatures and saw them slither away disappearing from sight then chided himself for frightening them.

Mirage stood and silently walked away motioning for Hound to follow. The green mech feared that he was in trouble for scaring the creatures away. Without a word they walked back to the main road and then transformed into vehicle mode and returned to Iacon and the Towers. Hound wondered what would happen to him as he had apparently ruined the "hunt" even though they had not set out to kill any turbofoxes.

They returned to their suite tired and dirty since grit from outside of the city had worked its way into their joints and seams. It made Hound itch but he was used to it having to travel through all types of terrain as a courier. He was surprised when Mirage called to him and directed him into the washrack. It was luxurious with several nozzles at different heights and Mirage started the cleanser flowing from them. He gently guided Hound into the streams of cleanser and he began to carefully clean the former slave.

"Mirage," Hound sputtered in complete astonishment, "you don't have to do this!" It wasn't that he had never been touched by another before but it had never been like this. He had been with other slaves satisfying his physical needs but these touches were far more intimate than anything he had ever experienced before. The very idea that a noble would lower himself to wash a former slave was almost beyond the ability of Hound's processor to handle.

Mirage stilled his movements as they stood close under the cleanser. "Hound, thank you for today. I enjoyed just watching the turbofoxes. I gained a new appreciation for them." He resumed his gentle scrubbing and worked his way between plates to get at the accumulated grit. "I have a new appreciation for you," he added quietly.

Hound was absolutely stunned. Between the gratitude and the touches upon his plating he was at a complete loss for words. In a crash of realization, he knew that the one thing he hoped wouldn't happen was occurring at that very klick. He was falling in love with Mirage and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Part of him wanted to shut off those feelings but with what his bondmate had done and said he just couldn't. Deciding for the moment to give in and try to sort it out later he tried his best to relax and moved as needed to allow Mirage to reach all of his gaps. Once Mirage had completely cleaned Hound's frame he began to wash himself while all the courier could do was watch with open admiration. Mirage turned with a smirk and handed a cloth to his bondmate and waited for him to wash his back plates. Hound stood for a moment looking at the strong and smooth back plates before slowly bringing the cloth to Mirage's frame and started to gently scrub dirt and grime away from the surface and then began to work into gaps and carefully cleaned under the edges making sure to remove all traces of grit.

When the washing was finished Mirage switched the nozzles to rinse and they both allowed the steaming water to rinse their frames watching the water run down the other. Hound felt his systems warm at the sight before him and was grateful the water was hot enough to mask the heat which was radiating from his frame. Some of his fears washed away with the water. He still wasn't completely sure where he stood with the noble in terms of a relationship but he thought he saw a hint of desire in those golden optics. This time he convinced himself that he was not imagining things.

* * *

><p>AN: This is not meant to be an evil cliffhanger. Just enjoy the fact that Hound is falling in love and Mirage is doing everything he can to encourage it.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: A Bond of Necessity (Part 6)  
>Verse: G1 AU<br>Rating: PG  
>Characters: Mirage and Hound<br>Warnings: frank discussion about relationship  
>Summary: Mirage and Hound reach an understanding<p>

Time Reference:  
>astrosecond ~ one second<br>klick ~ one minute  
>joor ~ one hour<br>cycle ~ one day  
>deca-cycle ~ one week<br>orn ~ one month  
>vorn ~ one year<p>

(I do not own Transformers.)

A/N: Thank you to the following who reviewed the last chapter: Crazygrrl XD, Zypherion-DeathNova, Blip-chan, mmouse15, BoredTech, Birdiebot, Darkeyes17, naggingfishwife, Sounddrive, and Lady of the Prairie. I really appreciate the comments as well as the constructive criticism.

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><p>Following their shower they sat in the sitting room and refueled. Hound was too agitated to say anything. The sight of Mirage in the washrack was amazing. The sensation of the noble's servos on his frame still left tingles and the knowledge that his bondmate had cleaned him with such care and tenderness, a task clearly beneath the noble, was humbling indeed. He still wasn't sure what to think of Mirage. He had not visibly recoiled at touching Hound but seemed to actually enjoy it. Could it be that he truly was different from other nobles? He thought about that for a bit. His bondmate hadn't stood up with Hound at the reception, instead leaving him on display entirely alone. On second thought, they had just been thrown into that situation and he was probably in just as much shock as Hound so he reverted to the behavior he knew would not cause controversy. Hound couldn't really hold it against him. Since then though, the noble had been kind to him. Even in public, which had been limited, Mirage had treated Hound with respect. He clearly struggled with how others of the nobility treated him since he was bonded to a commoner but Mirage had not put him down in public either. Hound was smart enough to know that the expectations of society were strong and not easy to work against.<p>

Mirage knew exactly what he had been doing in the washrack. He knew that in an arranged bond where one met their bondmate at their bonding ceremony usually required time before there was enough trust to initiate an interface. He certainly was not one to force himself upon another and he would not do anything to violate Hound's trust. However, that didn't mean that he wouldn't try to show his bondmate what he was missing.

Hound was broken out of his thoughts when he realized his bondmate was speaking to him. He looked blankly at Mirage who was clearly expecting an answer. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," he said sheepishly.

"I was saying that it isn't proper for my bondmate to be recharging here on the couch," the noble said softly. He set down his empty cube, leaned forward, and gently took the nearly empty cube from the startled mech. He pulled Hound to his pedes and guided him to the berthroom. He led the former slave to the berth and had him sit on the edge. He walked around the other side and lay down on his own side of the berth.

The berth was large enough that there was a more than respectful distance between them. Hound carefully lay down close to the edge and tried to settle his systems. He couldn't believe he was sharing a berth with his bondmate. He had to smile a bit at the absurdity of that thought. He couldn't believe he was sharing a berth with a noble. He had started to succeed in calming his circuits when Mirage again spoke.

"Hound," he said quietly, "you can feel free to talk to me about anything. Even," he paused, "your concerns about your place in my world." He was discovering that he enjoyed his bondmate's honesty and sincerity. It was such a change from what he had experienced with other nobles. He looked over at the clean frame on the other side of the berth. It wasn't the frame of a noble but it was strong and purposeful. He could tell that underneath all of the conditioning as a slave that the mech beside him had a personality that was equally strong and purposeful. He suddenly very much wanted to set it free. He had caught a glimpse of it when they were tracking the turbofoxes and he wanted to see more.

Hound went completely still for a klick then felt a tremendous relief flood through his systems. He had many questions and concerns but wasn't sure where to start. Finally, as Mirage waited patiently, he offlined his optics and quietly said, "I'm not what you expected."

Mirage chuckled softly. "No, you are not what I expected. For as long as I have known about bonding, I've known I was to be bonded to Starscream. I confess this is not at all what I expected."

Hound remained still and refused to look at his bondmate. "Are you embarrassed by me?" he asked in a barely audible voice.

A long silence followed and Hound began to panic. Finally, he heard, "No. I am embarrassed by the way the nobility has treated others, as though just because we are sparked from certain individuals that we are better than others." It was quiet for a bit before he continued. "I never really got to know anyone who was not a noble before I met you. You are not what I expected and that is a good thing."

Hound finally found the courage to online his optics and look over at his bondmate to see golden optics kindly gazing into his own. "You aren't what I expected either. My master didn't abuse me but I was not treated with respect. None of the other nobles I interacted with treated me with respect either. I was simply a slave performing my assigned tasks." Hound fell silent for a bit but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. "I expected you would just lock me in a room and, other than making sure I was adequately cared for, not interact with me unless it was required for some social function. I never expected you to try to get to know me."

Mirage felt the sting of those words but knew they were not directly aimed at him. He supposed that if he had been in Hound's position he would have thought the same thing. He wasn't sure what to say in response so he decided to rely on actions rather than words. He slid across the berth and gently pulled Hound into his arms. He made no further attempt at intimacy but just held his bondmate close. He was tempted to rub the green mech's backplates but somehow sensed it was not appropriate at this time. Instead he whispered, "Recharge, Hound. We can talk more about this another time."

Hound powered down his systems simply enjoying the feel of Mirage's arms around him. He was comforted by the words he heard but he was not fully convinced of the sincerity behind them. After experiencing being put down by the nobility for his entire functioning, it was hard to change his way of thinking. He decided to give Mirage a chance while hoping his bondmate would be patient with him.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: A Bond of Necessity (Part 7)  
>Verse: G1 AU<br>Rating: PG  
>Characters: Mirage, Hound, Wheeljack, minor unnamed nobles<br>Warnings: confrontation, cursing  
>Summary: Hound attends his first party as Mirage's bondmate<p>

Time Reference:  
>astrosecond ~ one second<br>klick ~ one minute  
>joor ~ one hour<br>cycle ~ one day  
>deca-cycle ~ one week<br>orn ~ one month  
>vorn ~ one year<p>

(I do not own Transformers.)

Special A/N: I have been carefully reading the reviews. I appreciate them all, including the ones with constructive criticism (they really do help me become a better writer). One question that has appeared frequently is: why does Mirage behave differently from other nobles? Originally, I had not planned to address that but the comments showed me that it really is important to you, the reader. As a result, I expanded this chapter (and the next two as well) which will hopefully help explain this issue. If it still doesn't make sense or needs further elaboration, don't hesitate to let me know and I can expand some of the later chapters as well (those chapters have been written but still need editing – they will be ready for their weekly post). Most of the explanation will take place in the next chapter but this chapter is necessary to set up the proper scene. (I'm so sorry, Hound. I promise I'll make it up to you.)

Again, special thanks to the following taking the time to review: Darkeyes17, Sounddrive, BoredTech, Shadoshard, Crazygrrl XD, Blip-chan, bRamble Girl, steelcrash, naggingfishwife, and mmouse15.

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><p>The cycle that Hound dreaded had arrived. Mirage had been invited to a party for a noble couple celebrating their bonding anniversary and Hound would have to attend as well.<p>

The party was lavish with an abundance of high grade and the finest energon confections. Hound had developed quite a taste for the treats but took care not to be greedy. Instead he enjoyed every single one that he was able to have and thought about how different his life was now that he was bonded to a noble. They had greeted the couple who had been bonded for many vorns but it seemed to Hound that they did not care for one another in the least. As a courier he had seen many such bonded couples among the nobility and it always made him sad. Yet here he was, in an arranged bond of his own with a mech he hadn't met until moments before the bonding ceremony. The difference was that he had fallen in love with Mirage but was too afraid to express his feelings. He glanced down at his plating just below his shoulder and then considered that maybe he didn't really need to say anything at all.

Hound shifted slightly in a corner of the room holding his cube of high grade. His bondmate had wandered off to get another cube of high grade for himself and more energon confections for Hound. He assured his nervous bondmate he would return shortly. Hound watched as the graceful blue and white noble easily made his way across the room talking with other nobles and clearly in his element. Hound was not. He shifted again, uncomfortable with his appearance and being a guest at a party instead of a servant.

Mirage had insisted on a thorough washing and then applied high quality wax to his bondmate. Hound had, of course, kept a decent coat of wax on his frame but he was not used to the expensive wax generously applied to his plating. Furthermore, he was embarrassed that Mirage applied the wax himself and then took care to buff his frame to a glossy shine. Once that was done, the noble removed a small box from a drawer and gently placed it in Hound's servos. He was curious about the contents and gasped when he raised the lid. A single ornament crafted from pure rhodium was nestled in the box. It was fashioned into the glyph which represented "bondmate" and the silvery edges caught the light enhancing the curves of the ornament. Mirage carefully removed it from the box and attached it to Hound just below his left shoulder. The glyph stood out against the smooth green plating. It was small enough to be tasteful but large enough to clearly spell out that Hound was a claimed mech.

There had not been any time to discuss why Mirage decided to mark his bondmate for all to see since they had to leave to get to the party on time. Now Hound stood quietly at the party and wondered about it. No one else had spoken to him but that just gave him time to think. The other nobles treated him as something beneath their notice and the servants that were there knew that he was now elevated in status above them and thus were not permitted to speak with him.

Mirage returned with two other nobles trailing behind. He introduced them to Hound but they continued their conversation as though the green mech was not there. He was not going to say anything about it but Mirage looked at Hound and then shocked the former slave by firmly stating, "This is my bondmate Hound. I would appreciate it if you showed proper respect."

One of the nobles looked properly chastised but the second glared at Mirage and said a little too loudly, "Mirage, you were required to bond to this former slave but you are all too aware that he will never be accepted among the nobility." His expression changed into a leer as he leaned forward and said in a low and suggestive tone, "Come to my berth, Mirage, and I'll help you forget all about your contractual bondmate." He glared at Hound, daring him to speak, but the green mech remained silent. He could certainly think of many responses to the challenge but his conditioning as a slave demanded that he stay quiet and draw as little attention to himself as possible. "You see, Mirage? Your submissive little glitch won't even say anything. He probably isn't even a decent frag in the berth."

Affairs among the nobility were common and Hound fixed his optics on his pedes. He couldn't stop Mirage from accepting the invitation but the public humiliation would be awful. He had the fleeting thought that with his bondmate elsewhere he would be free to leave the party and return to their residence acting as though nothing had happened. At least the other noble could give Mirage something he could not; a night of pleasure with one of his own kind. The other mech was probably right; Mirage would never want to interface with him.

The words of the other noble drew the attention of the surrounding guests and they fell silent while staring at the bonded couple waiting to see what would happen next. No matter what, they would be the topic of gossip the next cycle which was almost as bad as what was happening now. Hound offlined his optics wishing he could turn invisible and listened as he heard mechs walking away laughing. The others nearby resumed their insignificant conversations. Hound onlined his optics and looked up expecting to be alone but was surprised to see Mirage's golden optics meeting his own. No one else paid them any attention and he was horrified that he had caused Mirage such humiliation simply by existing. He hadn't even said anything. He was shocked when Mirage stayed by his side for the rest of the party declaring without words that he did take their bond seriously.

"Thank you," Hound said meekly once he was able to work his vocalizer again.

"You are my bondmate," Mirage replied as though that were all the reason he needed.

* * *

><p>After that, only one other mech approached to speak to them. A curious mech introduced himself as Wheeljack. Hound and Mirage were fascinated with him and discovered that he was an engineer. They thought that was an unusual profession for a noble until they realized Wheeljack was not a noble. They learned that he had been involved with some of the construction of frames for noble sparklings. He had come to the party as a guest of one of the other nobles but that noble found Wheeljack's talk of inventions to be boring and left the engineer to fend for himself while he sought high grade and gossip.<p>

The engineer was thrilled to find other guests that were interested in speaking with him about his inventions. Hound was especially fascinated and seemed to relax a bit while Mirage watched with relief that his bondmate was finally able to enjoy himself for a little while. They discussed sparklings a bit as well and the noble was surprised to see Hound's optics light up with delight. He wondered if it meant that his bondmate liked sparklings.

After the engineer left to find his companion, Hound quietly asked if they might be able to invite Wheeljack to visit them sometime. Mirage liked the engineer but even if he hadn't he would have agreed in order to please his bondmate. He knew the former slave felt isolated and he was not so egotistical to think that his company alone would be enough for Hound. Having company visit would be good for both of them.

They returned to their home and Mirage removed the ornaments from their frames taking special care to place Hound's in its box to keep it safe. Mirage guided them to the berth and pulled the green mech into his arms while Hound sobbed himself into recharge. He had been surprised that the noble stood up for him and he should have felt pleased but found that he felt even lower than ever because it had come at a high price to his bondmate. Hound knew that this was another blow to the noble's social standing. Mirage said nothing as he had been embarrassed by the experience earlier but was proud that this time, he had not left his bondmate alone.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: A Bond of Necessity (Part 8)  
>Verse: G1 AU<br>Rating: PG  
>Characters: Mirage, Hound, and Wheeljack<br>Warnings: none  
>Summary: Wheeljack visits the couple<p>

Time Reference:  
>astrosecond ~ one second<br>klick ~ one minute  
>joor ~ one hour<br>cycle ~ one day  
>deca-cycle ~ one week<br>orn ~ one month  
>vorn ~ one year<p>

(I do not own Transformers.)

A/N: Thank you again to the following for taking the time to review: Sslaxx, Sounddrive, BoredTech, MyNameIsJag, Starstreak 777, Crazygrrl XD, and Darkeyes17. Hopefully this chapter will finally answer some questions.

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><p>Mirage understood that Hound was upset. The former slave was torn between how Mirage treated him and how the rest of the nobility behaved. Hound really had expected that he would simply be locked away and only put on display when required. He had not anticipated that the noble would care about him much less show deep concern for him.<p>

Mirage decided that he would just have to continue to show Hound that he cared by treating him as the treasure he was discovering his bondmate to be. Following the turmoil of the party, Mirage took Hound to the shop to purchase more book files. The green mech was delighted with more books to read which he enjoyed but believed he was not worthy of them. The blue and white noble also obtained a number of energon confections and delighted in carefully feeding them to Hound. Such treatment made the former slave feel even more self-conscious while completely unaware that Mirage found the simple act of pampering his bondmate quite fulfilling.

Hound's struggles with how he viewed himself caused tension to spring up between them. Mirage desperately wanted his bondmate to feel at ease with him but it seemed that the more he tried, the more the green mech questioned his place. He didn't reject Mirage's attentions as that would have been insulting, but he was not able to enjoy them for what they were and could not reciprocate the gestures.

Hound did seem to relax a bit and shared in some conversation when Wheeljack accepted an invitation for a visit. The three of them chatted late into the cycle enjoying a fine mid-grade blend. Wheeljack asked many questions about Hound's former life as a slave and Mirage listened intently learning quite a bit about his bondmate. It turned out that the engineer was quite the conversationalist and when he asked about the noble's business dealings and interests he made the observation that his bondmate hung on every word clearly captivated yet trying not to show it. He certainly did notice that there was tension between the two but said nothing of it.

They were able to discuss sparklings in more detail this time. Wheeljack knew quite a bit about them since he had constructed sparkling frames for various nobles. While he was not a medic, he had to work closely with them and be able to interact with them effectively during the process of transferring sparks to frames. Mirage and Hound both knew about the process but had never actually seen it take place. Wheeljack thought it was very interesting that they were discussing this at all given the strange situation his hosts were in.

Since Wheeljack was not a noble, he was not constrained by the polite rules of socializing. He was not rude but he did ask some personal questions. Mirage was just happy that Hound had someone else to speak to and was even willing to share a bit about his past. Finally, Wheeljack had to call an end to the visit and Mirage escorted him out of their residence while Hound stayed to prepare for recharge, seeming to prefer to stay in their rooms unless they were actually leaving the Towers for some reason.

As the entrance to the Towers Wheeljack prepared to depart but he looked around and seeing that he was alone with Mirage he quietly spoke. "I'm sure you realize that Hound is having trouble adjusting."

"Yes. Being a noble is not easy with all of the intrigue that occurs. It is a social minefield. It is difficult for nobles. For Hound it is brutal."

Wheeljack nodded. "You seem different though. You actually seem to care about your bondmate. Especially since this was a bond forced upon you both."

"We both expected to have arranged bonds but for different reasons. We certainly did not expect it to be with one another."

"I noticed that you stood up for Hound at the party even though it meant that you had to deliberately step on one of those social mines," the engineer observed.

"Yes," Mirage said thoughtfully. "Hound has allowed me to see the things that are wrong with the nobility. I know that I can't change the nobility and how they treat others but I can change and I hope that is enough for Hound's sake."

The engineer thought about this for a bit, and then asked, "What makes you different, Mirage? You are bonded to a commoner, a former slave, in fact. Everyone else I know would lock up Hound and ignore him. Why do you care for him?"

Mirage regarded his new friend coolly, and then the façade broke. "Wheeljack, all of my life I have successfully played the part of a proud noble. I was ready to bond with Starscream and continue that act. When Hound suddenly was standing by my side and saying his vow, I was shocked by what had happened. At the reception I wanted to distance myself from my token bondmate but I kept watching him from across the room. He was frightened and I left him alone and yet he stood there looking calm." He paused to collect his next though. "I realized that Hound was behaving like a true noble."

Wheeljack remained silent. He had been at the bonding ceremony and had seen everything that Mirage described. He had thought that the noble was a complete aft and felt sorry for the courier standing beside him. He was not one to indulge in gossip so it was a surprise to him when he attended the anniversary party and had seen Mirage standing up for his bondmate. His optics had also seen the ornament attached to Hound's plating. He knew that such a declaration was rare, even among the nobility, who could afford such exquisite adornments.

Mirage continued to speak. "I had to get to know him. At first, it was for selfish reasons. I wanted to use what I learned to perfect acting like a noble. As I got to know him, though, I started to like him and wanted to be with him just because I enjoyed his company. Over time, I…" He trailed off, not able to finish the thought.

Wheeljack transformed and thanked Mirage for his hospitality. Before driving away he said, "Hound will get through this as long as you are patient. Keep demonstrating that you care about him. It would probably help though if you told him that you love him." With that he drove off into the darkness. His parting statement hung heavy in the air.

The noble wondered if he really did love Hound. He pondered that thought as he returned to his quarters. He could admit that he actually did like Hound. The green mech was far more interesting than any of the nobles he had associated with. Mirage liked the smiles he saw when Hound was happy with the smallest of gestures. He was concerned with how Hound was adjusting. As he entered his rooms he wondered if that meant that he loved Hound. Was it really such a large step from caring to love?

Hound was already in recharge on their berth. Mirage sat down on the edge of the berth and simply watched his bondmate. Hound would never be attractive in the sense of the fine materials used to craft the frames of the nobility. Hound's frame had been constructed for the life of a slave, a servant, one who had to be rugged and tough. Still, Mirage could see the hidden beauty of the practicality of his construction. When he had waxed Hound and applied the ornament to his frame, he had looked nice. Could admiration and appreciation for functionality turn into physical attraction?

Mirage climbed onto the berth and rested his frame against that of his bondmate's. He thought about the time he had taken Hound hunting for turbofoxes. He recalled the way Hound had watched the creatures and was completely relaxed in his surroundings and enjoying the scene before him once he realized that Mirage would not be hurting the creatures. Hound's faceplates had softened and showed tenderness the noble had not seen before or since. Suddenly, he very much wanted to see that look directed at him.

He considered how he had changed since the day of his bonding ceremony to Hound and decided that he liked the changes that had occurred even though they were exacting a price on his social standing. Mirage discovered he didn't care anymore if it meant that the mech resting beside him was happy and well-cared for. As Mirage drifted into recharge he realized that he had fallen in love with his bondmate; then he realized with a bit of surprise that he had felt that way for some time but hadn't realized it until now. He needed to find the perfect way to declare his feelings so it would be meaningful to the one mech that he truly cared about.


	9. Chapter 9

Title: A Bond of Necessity (Part 9)  
>Verse: G1 AU<br>Rating: PG-13  
>Characters: Mirage and Hound<br>Warnings: kissing, washrack scene  
>Summary: Mirage expresses his feelings for Hound<p>

Time Reference:  
>astrosecond ~ one second<br>klick ~ one minute  
>joor ~ one hour<br>cycle ~ one day  
>deca-cycle ~ one week<br>orn ~ one month  
>vorn ~ one year<p>

(I do not own Transformers.)

A/N: Thank you for the reviews: Sounddrive, bbratteberget, Crazygrrl XD, mmouse15, Darkeyes17, Blip-chan, and bRamble Girl. If you have stayed with the story to this point, hopefully you will really enjoy the next few chapters.

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><p>They watched the turbofoxes in complete silence. Actually, Hound watched the turbofoxes while Mirage watched Hound. The turbofox family was romping and playing, unaware they were being watched while the green mech was completely unaware he was being watched. Hound had enjoyed tracking and watching turbofoxes so much that Mirage decided this was the perfect setting to tell his bondmate how he felt. The noble patiently waited and then smiled as that look of tenderness crossed his bondmate's faceplates. With a voice as quiet as the barely there breeze, Mirage whispered, "I love you." As quiet as the words were, the turbofoxes perked up their audio sensors and swiftly slipped away. Hound had heard the words as well and slowly turned his helm to look at the one that had uttered them.<p>

Before he could voice a protest, lips pressed in against his own tenderly kissing but seeking nothing further. After a moment of shock, Hound could only relax and enjoy the sensation. Mirage broke the chaste kiss but held his bondmate's gaze. Words began to form on the courier's lip components but the blue and white mech only shook his helm and placed a single digit against his lips keeping the questions in Hound's vocalizer. The former slave fell back to his old subroutines and did not protest then obediently followed his bondmate as they returned to their home in silence.

Hound's processor was running through countless possibilities as they returned to the Towers. His thoughts always returned to those three words which had floated through the space between them and set his spark spinning rapidly in its chamber. The attractive blue and white noble had proclaimed to love him. Hound had never imagined he would hear those words. Even if he had been bonded to another slave as he had expected, the most he had hoped for was understanding or maybe affection. When he suddenly became bonded to a noble, all hopes of love were dashed because a noble would never stoop to loving someone like him. Again, his thoughts returned to the words his bondmate had whispered. They had sounded sincere.

They returned to their quarters and Hound meekly followed Mirage into the washrack as he had the previous time they had returned from watching turbofoxes. He stepped under the nozzles of solvent and began to wash himself but stilled when he felt Mirage's servos gently working the grit from under the plates along his back struts washing the places Hound couldn't reach.

This time though, the touches were far from the utilitarian ones before. These were far more sensual and he bit back a groan as he felt one of the noble's digits brush slowly against a wire under the edge of his shoulder plating. He tried to imagine that it was still an innocent touch and the noble had only slipped slightly from the slickness of the cleanser. He began cleaning his arms again but stopped when the touch was repeated under his other shoulder plate. He could not deny that Mirage was doing it on purpose as a soft moan escaped his lips. His bondmate said nothing but withdrew his digits and began to clean the green mech completely with his servos lingering in various seams and gaps as Hound felt his systems begin to heat under the purposeful touches.

Once clean, the blue and white mech gently turned him around so he could watch while Mirage cleaned his own frame. They had cleaned in the same washrack before but Mirage was clearly touching his frame in a way meant to entice Hound. He couldn't help his optics darkening as he took in the magnificent frame of the noble which was gleaming from the water when the nozzles were switched from cleanser to rinse. When Mirage began to rinse his own seams and gaps using the slowest and most sensual motions imaginable, Hound discovered it took all of his restraint not to face the noble into the floor of the washrack.

He shuttered his optics certain that he was imagining all of this and that he was reading far too much into those three little words and a barely-there kiss. His optics snapped open when he felt one of the servos of the noble rest lightly on his chestplates directly over his spark and the other rested equally lightly on his interface panel. Mirage still said nothing but leaned in for another chaste kiss which slowly became more passionate as the water continued to stream off of their frames. It was complete bliss as Mirage slowly kissed his bondmate's lips while his servos searched his frame. With the smallest teasing lap to his lip components, the noble pulled away, shut off the nozzles, and set to work drying both of them off thoroughly.

Once they were dry Mirage led them into the sitting room and made sure Hound was comfortable on the couch before retrieving two cubes of high grade and some energon confections. He sat down on the couch with his legs gracefully folded under him, handed Hound one of the cubes, and then slowly took one of the confections and held it up brushing it lightly against the green mech's lips to encourage him to take a bite. Keeping his optics focused on his bondmate, Hound cautiously took a bite of the confection and whined when Mirage took the remaining portion and sensuously placed it on his own glossa before closing his mouth and savoring the treat. Hound swallowed his portion of the confection and attempted to cool his heating systems with a long drink of his high grade but it didn't work. Mirage scooted a bit closer and began to trace along his frame with one servo while managing to gracefully sip at his own cube.

When Hound thought he could no longer contain himself, Mirage elegantly stood and pulled his bondmate up by the servo and guided him into the berthroom. He climbed onto their berth and knelt before Hound, beckoning the green mech to join him. For a moment he just looked at the radiant noble scarcely able to believe what was happening. Slowly he approached the berth and placed one knee upon it which brought forth a smile from his bondmate. Hound leaned forward and climbed the rest of the way onto the berth and approached the noble. Once Hound was kneeling before his bondmate he gasped when Mirage slowly leaned into him and pressed Hound onto his back with the fine noble hovering above his frame.

With a look of complete seriousness, the noble spoke. "Hound, I love you." He pressed a servo against Hound's lips as his bondmate began to argue against the statement. "Shhh, listen to me." He smiled again and gazed into his bondmate's clear blue optics.

Hound closed his mouth ignoring the fact that Mirage had managed to slip the tip of one digit between his lips and held it there as he continued to speak. "I love you. I wanted to wait and find a setting where it would mean the most to you." He slowly withdrew his digit from Hound's mouth and smiled when his mech remained silent. Hound was nearly dizzy with the faint taste of his bondmate's plating upon his lip components. "We may not have expected this to happen but it did. You accepted me even though I behaved like a complete aft at our bonding ceremony. You allowed me to see my shortcomings and I wanted to change for you."

He fell silent and Hound whispered, "I love you, too." He couldn't help but love the noble. The beauty of his frame was undeniable and he had noticed that Mirage had changed. He was no longer the mech that left him alone and on display, he was now a mech that proclaimed their bond and did what he could to demonstrate affection. The declaration of love surprised him but it was welcome.

The green mech remained still as he looked up at his bondmate. He felt powerful physical urges but held them in check because he was afraid of ruining the moment. As badly as he wanted to interface with the mech just above him, he also wanted to savor this moment just like the finest energon confection. With a smirk Mirage descended upon Hound and captured his lips in a firm kiss gradually deepening it and humming his approval when Hound's arms wrapped tightly around him.


	10. Chapter 10

Title: A Bond of Necessity (Part 10)  
>Verse: G1 AU<br>Rating: M  
>Characters: Mirage and Hound<br>Warnings: pnp and sparks

Time Reference:  
>astrosecond ~ one second<br>klick ~ one minute  
>joor ~ one hour<br>cycle ~ one day  
>deca-cycle ~ one week<br>orn ~ one month  
>vorn ~ one year<p>

(I do not own Transformers.)

A/N: My dear readers, this is a special chapter. It is quite a bit longer than previous chapters to avoid any awkward chapter breaks. Special thanks to the following who took the time to review the previous chapter: Darkeyes17, Sounddrive, moonlightbeam305, BoredTech, renegadewriter8, Blip-chan, GrimsonAshes, Zypherion-DeathNova, naggingfishwife, Crazygrrl XD, Fianna9, and Birdiebot. I hope this chapter meets with expectations.

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><p>Hound gasped when Mirage suddenly broke the intense kiss, hooked a leg behind his, and skillfully flipped them so Mirage was now flat on his back with a surprised Hound looking down at him. With a smirk he spoke again, "Hound, no matter what the rest of society may think, you are my bondmate. Here, in this berth, there is no master and no slave. I love you, and I know that you love me. The problem is that you still think like a slave, which is why you need to take the initiative and make love to me."<p>

Hound gaped at the noble beneath him. Having already declared love for one another, he was more than happy for the noble to have his way with him. He never expected to take a dominate role in their relationship, certainly not even in the berth, even though he had plenty of experience in being both dominate and submissive in matters of interfacing.

Mirage also had plenty of experience in the berth and knew that this was necessary. If Hound did not have an opportunity to take him now, it would be very difficult for him to take that role later. He raised a servo and brushed his bondmate's cheekplate. "Take me Hound, I'm yours." He gave his bondmate a radiant smile and then deviously ground his hips up into his bondmate's frame.

Hound could no longer take the tension which was burning through his frame. He obeyed the order, which was no order at all, he realized, but a plea for fulfillment. He crushed his lips to the noble's and firmly stroked his glossa against them, seeking entrance. Once granted, he slowly probed further and explored the warm and responsive mouth of his bondmate. When Mirage had slipped a digit between his lips, he had a faint taste of the noble. Now, he could taste his bondmate fully and he moaned at how wonderful it was.

His systems began to hum and cooling fans kicked on. His mech responded with a loud groan followed by his own fans coming to life. Hound set to work exploring the exquisite frame of the noble and pulled and tweaked every wire he encountered noting where his bondmate was most sensitive. Their lips remained locked, passionately tangling their glossae together. Servos explored plating and slipped into gaps touching, stroking, and caressing. Mirage's plating was so smooth and had the most enticing curves. Hound gently brushed a servo down his bondmate's side and brought it to a rest on a lovely blue hip plate. Breaking the kiss, he shifted slightly and lowered his helm to press kisses into his lover's neck cables.

He paused to look up at his bondmate who glanced at him and raised his helm to place a small kiss on Hound's olfactory sensor, then rested his helm on the berth again with a smile to encourage his mate to proceed. Hound looked back down at Mirage's neck cables and brought his other servo up to touch them with wonder in his optics. The main fuel line was just visible behind the other cables and Hound carefully pushed them aside to stroke along that one very sensitive component. He gasped as he felt the noble's servos firmly grip his aft in response followed by a low moan which only served to arouse and encourage him further.

Hound was well on his way to forgetting about social status as he brought both his servos to Mirage's chestplates and then lowered his lips to the spot on his plating just above the noble's sparkchamber. He placed a single worshipping kiss there before growling softly and sliding an arm underneath his lover's frame pulling him close while he slid up the noble's frame enjoying the pleasurable friction before claiming the blue and white mech's lips in a fiery kiss. He hummed as he felt Mirage's servos move over his frame with all of the skill of an experienced lover but with the curiosity of being intimate with another for the first time and wanting to explore every bit of circuitry.

The green mech was not ignorant about intimacy either, and knew how much pressure to apply to which wires to cause the noble beneath him to arch upward into his frame in pleasure. When a slave was not forced into providing pleasure to others, it was often the case that interfacing was one of the few pleasures available. Since Hound had never been required to service another, he was in fact, a skilled lover enjoying both giving and receiving pleasure. For now though, he was quite content to drive his mech into a frenzy of desire.

Through the haze of passion Hound's interface panel softly clicked open followed by the sound of Mirage's panel exposing his own interface components, the sounds sending shivers through his system. Pulling away slightly from his bondmate, he moved a servo between them so he could carefully pull his interface cable out of its housing and brought it nearly in contact with Mirage's port. He paused and looked into the golden optics of his noble checking that he really did want him to proceed. Mirage reached up and covered Hound's servo with his own. He applied gentle pressure which caused the cable to click into place in his own port groaning as the connection was made. He then smoothly pulled his own cable out of its housing and placed it in Hound's servo to allow his bondmate to connect it to his own port. Once the circuit was complete Mirage dropped all his firewalls allowing Hound complete access to his systems. Hound remained still both in frame and processor as he realized he was intimately connected to the noble beneath him. Mirage waited as Hound lowered his own firewalls but neither made any move to enter the other's systems. They stayed that way for several long astroseconds looking into the other's optics. Mirage smiled and brushed his servos against Hound's helm. "Go ahead," he whispered.

Slowly Hound began to navigate into Mirage's systems and marveled at how wonderful it felt. Hound had interfaced with many others in the past and always enjoyed how it felt. This time, it was very different because he was experiencing his first interface with his bondmate. His bondmate! He was full of joy as he felt Mirage begin to explore his own systems. Both of them became lost in pleasure and the realization that they would have one another intimately at last.

Hound was suddenly overcome with emotion for his bondmate and drove his presence into Mirage. It wasn't a harsh action but rather a confident one as the former slave threw aside his fears and feelings of inadequacy and began to passionately interface the mech in his arms. Mirage yelped at the sudden change in his bondmate but then allowed his exhilaration to flow through the connection at the confidence and dominance his bondmate found. The green mech groaned in pleasure as he took his bondmate allowing his servos to continue exploring while sending data through their connection charged with emotion and gratefulness for how the noble appreciated him as he was.

Mirage found that the interface was wilder than he was used to experiencing but accepted it as part of who Hound was and encouraged his bondmate to continue and pleaded for him to drive him into overload. Hound was eager to comply and worked his way deeply into his bondmate's systems. He was rewarded with the noble's passionate cries of pleasure and suddenly felt the feedback through their cables. Hound's overload slammed through his systems causing him to howl in ecstasy while the mutual feedback echoed between them as they together rode out the shared overload. "Raj!" he cried over and over as waves of pleasure washed over them.

When their overloads had run their course, Hound carefully settled against his bondmate continuing to run his servos over the noble enjoying the feel of the smooth plating. He enjoyed how Mirage also stroked his frame as they slowly relaxed from their release of passion. Their hardline connection remained in place and data continued to gently flow between them. It was the luxury of time that they could remain that way without having to attend to anything which would cause them to part.

Hound stirred when he heard and felt the noble chuckle softly beneath him. Leaning up he looked into the golden optics of his mate. "What's so funny?" he asked with an amused tone.

The noble brought a servo up to Hound's face and stroked it gently. "Raj?" he asked. "I've never had someone call me that before."

Hound smiled at his lover. "I tend to get vocal when I'm interfacing." He grew serious for a moment as a small amount of uncertainty crept into his processor. "I won't call you that if it bothers you."

Mirage sent a gentle pulse through his interface cable. "It's fine, lover. It fits your personality."

Hound slowly massaged his lips against Mirage's lips, face, and neck. It was a gentle and intimate time for them and Hound wished it could last much longer. Mirage seemed to pick up on the thought and smirked at his mate. Slowly he removed his servos from Hound's frame and laced them together behind his helm. Hound looked down at the sensual relaxed pose of the noble and felt his desire rise again within him. Mirage felt it as well, playfully sending pulses of data through their cables. Hound groaned with anticipation of another round of interfacing but then faltered as he heard the unmistakable sound of chestplates parting. He leaned back a bit and watched in fascination as the plates elegantly folded away revealing a golden colored spark chamber. "Mirage?" he whispered. "What are you doing?" His whisper was slightly panicked. He had hoped they would eventually spark merge now that they had interfaced but he was not expecting Mirage to be so prompt about it.

Mirage smiled at the mech above him and remained in a completely relaxed and submissive position. "Bond with me, Hound," he said with complete sincerity.

Hound carefully considered his words and then carefully pushed himself up and tugged on Mirage, mindful of the cables between them. He settled on his knees and positioned Mirage to mirror his position. "If we do this, we do it as equals, Mirage. No master and no slave."

He then opened his own chestplates, not quite as elegantly as Mirage did and looked off to the side as his own spark chamber became visible. It was plain, not the lovely gold of Mirage's finely crafted chamber. Mirage didn't seem to care about that though. He gazed at the chamber that held the spark he would soon bond with. It was a solemn moment for them. Mirage lifted his servo and turned Hound's helm back to look at him. He then sent a gentle soothing stream of data through their cables to help settle both of their processors for the action they were about to take.

Hound stared into the golden optics before him and responded with a stream of data of his own and then allowed his spark chamber to begin to split open. Mirage did the same and together they watched as the other's spark became visible. Both were mesmerized by the sight and without speaking they slowly brought their frames together. Before their sparks touched, Hound again plunged deeply into Mirage's systems and brought their mouths together in a fierce kiss. Mirage gasped again but returned the passions and made the final movement to bring their sparks into contact. As equals.

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><p>Both of their frames momentarily stiffened as the outer shells of their sparks touched for the first time. The sensation was foreign to both of them and it took a few klicks for it to register as something pleasurable. As their spark energies began to mingle, each suddenly saw memories from the other flash through their own processors.<p>

Mirage saw the early vorns of his bondmate. At first there were happy memories with his carrier. The noble wondered briefly where his sire was but then understood as more memories filtered into his processor that Hound's sire had been sold shortly after his carrier had sparked and neither Hound nor his carrier ever saw the mech again. Sadness then anger filled the noble as he saw memories of Hound being sold off and separated from his carrier once he had been placed in his final upgraded frame. Starscream was a fair master but Hound still endured severe discipline when he stepped out of line.

Hound likewise saw the early vorns of his bondmate. There were no happy memories with his creators. His carrier and sire were always present in the noble's life but they had little interaction with their creation relying on tutors and caregivers to raise the sparkling. Mirage was also disciplined severely when he failed to act like a noble.

By this time, the outer portions of their sparks had merged and they were aware that they were seeing the other's memories. Both seemed rather embarrassed by what had happened to them but they soothed one another with the comforting thoughts that while they were so very different in upbringing, their perspectives were remarkably similar. With the initial merging of their sparks complete, they were able to regain control of their frames briefly and wrap their arms tightly around one another. Fear was still present in both processors at what a complete merge would reveal but there was no way to stop the process from occurring now that it had started. They assured one another that this was right and wanted before the cores of their sparks touched for the first time. Both of them screamed in a mixture of pleasure, fear, desire, apprehension, anticipation, loneliness, and need before their processors were again overwhelmed with memories.

Mirage saw Hound's immense relief that he never had been forced to pleasure others but this also fed a fear that if he was not attractive enough for that purpose then no one else would willingly seek his attention. The courier's utilitarian frame did not attract longing looks from others and Mirage was quick to send a pulse of comfort through his cable and also managed to send an image of his own into Hound's processor. He sent the image file he had taken of Hound prepared for the party. Although it had ended badly, Mirage treasured that cycle because Hound did look nice and it was when he realized he was in love with his bondmate. A brief pulse of surprise was returned at that and Mirage caught his lover's lips in a tender kiss.

The noble saw that Hound had been with others in the berth and while he enjoyed the physical pleasure of others, he never felt particularly attached to anyone. He saw the memory of Hound arriving at Mirage's bonding ceremony and the stark fear that raced through his processor when he realized what was happening. While the former slave had been calm on the outside, Mirage saw and felt that Hound had been full of despair and feelings of inadequacy. He warmed at the thoughts that the green mech found him attractive and understood how he felt intimidated by his unexpected freedom and sudden bond.

Hound saw that Mirage learned to be cold and used others for his purposes when it suited him. He understood it was because his carrier and sire never showed him attention except to prepare him to be a pawn for their own gain. While Mirage accepted his role within the family, a small hidden part of him always hoped he could find someone to truly love. As their sparks continued to merge together, he couldn't hide that thought from Hound. The green mech understood and comforted his bondmate, suddenly realizing that he was no longer sending pulses through his cable but sending the comfort directly into Mirage's spark.

Mirage realized it as well and they both trembled as they knew without looking that their sparks were nearly completely joined now. The pleasure was increasing but there was also a tension which began to build the closer their merge came to completion. Suddenly, their sparks fully joined. It was similar to being buried deep within another's processor during an intense interface but far more complex than that. They realized that they had complete access to one another's very being; all the thoughts, memories, and emotions of the other. It was frightening to be that vulnerable with the added fear that once this merge was complete, it would be permanent. At least with a deep interface the vulnerability was temporary. Once the partners returned to their own systems the connection was severed. They would always have an echo of the merge and the link would grow stronger with each subsequent merge.

Suddenly, Mirage felt very exposed and wanted to hide but could not. He felt Hound's warm presence gently against his own and could feel the pure love the green mech had for him. It wasn't based on how he looked (although Hound couldn't hide the fact that he was deeply attracted to the mech's physical appearance) but rather how Mirage treated him with respect. That one thing was more important to Hound than anything and Mirage assured him he would continue to respect his bondmate. The former slave felt the wave of respect wash over his being and felt a brief surge of inadequacy over his humble origins. It was pushed away by the surprising feeling of love from the noble. There was no hiding that Mirage had fallen in love with Hound due to the courier's genuine character.

The entire exchange of thoughts and feelings once their sparks were fully joined took only a few astroseconds. There was no more time to consciously think about being vulnerable as pure pleasure took over. A single orb pulsed and spun wildly as both lost themselves in the throes of passion with their thoughts focused solely on the pleasure of the other while their interface cables roared to life with surges of highly charged data. There was no way to avoid the inevitable overload so they both just threw their entire joined being into it and cried and moaned and laughed through the overload that nearly melted their circuits.

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><p>Hound onlined his optics and stared at the ceiling wondering what had happened. His chestplates and interface panel were closed. He checked his memory files and found there were many more of them than he remembered. This is going to take some getting used to,/ he heard directly in his processor.

He turned his helm and saw Mirage lying on his side looking at Hound and smiling. /You have some very interesting thoughts go through your processor when your systems are booting up./ Hound continued to stare at the noble beside him. /Well? Aren't you going to say something?/

"Uh…" Hound mumbled intelligently. /Mirage?/ Warmth flooded his processor and spark as he communicated across their new bond for the first time. /What? How long?/ His processor was still fuzzy from their first spark merge, the resulting overload, and emerging from recharge.

/Relax, love. Here, this should help./ Mirage reached to the table behind him and picked up a cube of refined mid-grade and handed it to his bondmate. /I've been online for a bit and already refueled. I watched while you recharged and enjoyed your thoughts. As I mentioned, you have some very interesting and erotic thoughts when you boot up./

Hound sat up and gratefully took the cube and began to refuel but was embarrassed at finding out that Mirage had full access to his thoughts while he recharged. Mirage scooted over beside his bondmate, his true bondmate in every meaning of the word, and cuddled while Hound refueled. /I guess it's a little late to be shy now?/ he chuckled through the bond, well aware of the fact that he had booted up with thoughts of his bondmate. /You're right. This will take some getting used to./

Hound finished his energon and set the empty cube on the table by his side of the berth. He then wrapped his arms around the mech cuddled with him. He was content to stay that way for a while allowing his systems to fully feel the effects of refueling and the delight of having his bondmate beside him. "I love you," he said softly, wanting to use words to emphasize how he felt.

Mirage purred in contentment. "I love you, too."

They remained quiet for some time snuggled together and allowing comfort and contentment to flow across the bond. Both of them knew they had seen things in the other's processor that they would have to eventually discuss, but for now, it was enough that there was complete acceptance on both sides of the bond. They may not like some of the things they had discovered and were sure there would be more as they explored the bond but each vowed to take their past, no matter how embarrassing or shameful it was, and learn from it, so they could both be better mechs in the future.

/You know,/ Mirage said slyly into Hound's processor. /It is important for bondmates to strengthen their bond as much as…/

The though remained unfinished as Hound began to ravish his bondmate.


	11. Chapter 11

Title: A Bond of Necessity (Part 11)  
>Rating: R<br>Characters: Hound and Mirage  
>Warnings: very mild suggestion of bondage, pnp, and sparks<br>Summary: Mirage and Hound consider the future

Time Reference:  
>astrosecond ~ one second<br>klick ~ one minute  
>joor ~ one hour<br>cycle ~ one day  
>deca-cycle ~ one week<br>orn ~ one month  
>vorn ~ one year<p>

(I do not own Transformers.)

A/N: Thank you to the following: Darkeyes17, GrimsonAshes, Zypherion-DeathNova, Blip-chan, Sounddrive, Crazygrrl XD, and Fianna9. I really appreciate the reviews. Just as a note, next chapter is the last for this particular arc. The next thread of the story will be "A Bond of Desire" featuring Ratchet and Wheeljack. It will also tie together the stories of Prowl/Jazz and Hound/Mirage.

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><p>Hound looked up at his bondmate with uncertainty. Mirage had wanted to play a game and the green mech wasn't sure if it was the most pleasurable experience he had ever had or the most torturous. In the six orns since they had first merged their sparks, they had learned a great deal about one another, yet were continually amazed at how much more there was to find out about the other and in the process, themselves. For a time, Mirage had encouraged Hound to be dominant in their lovemaking, but gradually, the noble began to assert himself more until their roles were balanced. This cycle, Mirage wanted to be dominant. Very dominant. Hound didn't mind a bit but this particular game was testing his restraint.<p>

He had been instructed to lay on the berth, arms stretched on the berth above his helm holding a metal bar, while Mirage had his way with his lover. It wasn't that it was unpleasant; on the contrary, it was exceptionally pleasurable. It had just been very slow and meticulous. Mirage seemed intent on stroking every bit of Hound's plating and swirling his glossa into every gap and seam. Hound's systems were running hot, the drawn-out stimulation was not quite enough to bring him to an overload. He dropped his helm back to the berth and concentrated on enjoying the sensations his lover was providing. Mirage hadn't even connected their interface cables yet although their interface panels were open.

Because of Hound's past as a slave, physical bondage was a sensitive issue. Mirage wanted Hound to experience the pleasures that such activities could yield but was reluctant to actually restrain his bondmate. Finally, they had agreed to focus more on the perceptions of bondage with his position mimicking that of being restrained but he was free to move immediately if he became uncomfortable.

::Patience, love,:: Mirage soothed through their bond. ::I realize this is something new and I appreciate that you are willing to try.:: Those words alone were enough for Hound to push aside any doubts. If Mirage was pleased, then Hound was happy. The noble looked at the stretched out form of his mate and felt a surge of desire. He loved everything about his bondmate from his compassion, to the shade of green he was painted, his strong and solid frame, and even the spot behind his knee where he was ticklish.

Sensing that Hound was relaxing again and giving it a chance, Mirage provided the reward of connecting his interface cable to Hound's port. He continued with the slow and sensual pace navigating into Hound's systems. Mirage smiled as he noticed Hound begin to truly lose himself in the pleasure. They didn't have anything they needed to do so Mirage was taking his time.

Hound finally did completely lose himself in the pleasure and just enjoyed the sensations of Mirage stimulating his systems one by one. The sensations still were not enough to bring about an overload but he had to admit that it did feel good. He hadn't noticed that somewhere along the way Mirage had connected his cable completing the circuit or that his systems were running hotter. As Mirage had hoped, Hound was so caught up in the moment that his overload crept up on him and only he only became aware of it a few astroseconds before it swept them both away in a wave of release.

::Mirage,:: Hound murmured through the bond, venting too hard to speak, ::That was amazing. Thank you.::

They curled into one another's arms and together they slipped into recharge.

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><p>"Hound, there is something I would like to discuss with you," Mirage said several cycles later while they shared some energon together. They had spent the day going over some of the business Mirage's family engaged in and that Mirage would one day oversee. They would be expected to take a role in the family business dealings. The noble was discovering that his bondmate was quite an asset to the business. He had an extensive knowledge of various houses he had visited as a courier. The servants in the free areas of Cybertron and the slaves in the areas not free actually formed quite a network of information which Hound had once been a part of. They were exploring ways that Hound could continue to tap into those networks. While he was now a free mech and therefore elevated in status above the slaves and servants, he still knew well how to interact with those mechs. Mirage knew there would be obstacles with the courier not being viewed equally but he was a noble's bondmate and he had every intention of him being treated as such.<p>

"What is it? Something with the business?" Hound was curious. He was fairly certain he understood most of what Mirage had gone over with him that cycle. He still had questions but he would catch on soon enough.

"No. Not business. Personal. Very personal," Mirage purred.

Hound's systems began to warm at the sound of Mirage purring. That tone of voice always made his systems run hot. He moved over to his bondmate and allowed his servos to begin to wander along the exquisite plating he always found irresistible.

"What are your thoughts about sparklings?" Mirage asked carefully.

Hound's systems stilled. He had figured before the unexpected bonding ceremony with Mirage that he would be given a bondmate and he would produce sparklings for his master. Now that he was free he was not under that pressure. He looked up into the golden optics of his bondmate. With their sparkbond in place he could not hide how he felt about it. Mirage knew immediately that Hound very much wanted to create a spark with him. Unable to speak he simply nodded.

Mirage smiled and stood taking Hound by the servo and leading him to their berthroom.

"Now?" Hound managed to blurt out.

"Why not? We are both in peak condition. We both want this." He looked at Hound who seemed a bit taken aback by the suddenness of the action. Deciding to goad his bondmate a bit he added slyly, "Now you aren't afraid that you can't get our systems to run hot enough to generate a spark, are you?"

It must have worked because Hound growled at his bondmate and pulled him down to the berth. Lips locking passionately, it wasn't long before four servos were exploring every bit of plating within reach and systems were running hot. Their systems joined through their interface cables and their chestplates parted allowing them to bring their sparks into contact. Their passion rose to dizzying heights and with a surge of electricity flowing over their frames, overload crashed through their systems. Through the haze of their overload they were pleased with the knowledge that there was certainly enough excess energy to produce a new spark and they slipped into recharge remaining joined by their interface cables, that comfortable with being within one another's systems. They shared words of love through their bond and each knew they were completely satisfied and fulfilled by the other.


	12. Chapter 12

Title: A Bond of Necessity (Part 12)  
>Verse: G1 AU<br>Rating: PG  
>Characters: Mirage, Hound, and Wheeljack<br>Warnings: mentions of sparkmerging

Time Reference:  
>astrosecond ~ one second<br>klick ~ one minute  
>joor ~ one hour<br>cycle ~ one day  
>deca-cycle ~ one week<br>orn ~ one month  
>vorn ~ one year<p>

(I do not own Transformers.)

A/N: I am sorry for the brief delay getting this chapter posted. Thank you to the following for their reviews: GrimsonAshes, renegadewriter8, Blip-chan, Sounddrive, Darkeyes17, BoredTech, CrazygrrlXD, and Fianna9. You all helped this story gain over 100 reviews!

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><p>"We merged completely."<p>

"I can't believe you are telling me this."

"We certainly generated enough charge to create a spark."

"Too much information, Hound."

"Wheeljack, we've been trying for two vorns!"

"I really don't think… wait. Did you say you've been trying for two vorns?"

Hound and Mirage nodded at their friend as they shared energon in the sitting room.

"Why are you telling me this?" Wheeljack asked quietly. "Isn't this something you should be discussing with a medic?"

Mirage made a face before he answered. "Normally we would, but with Hound being of less-than-noble origins, it is likely that we would simply be dismissed and it would be blamed on Hound. I am not willing to accept that. Both of us are in top condition. There shouldn't be a reason for us to fail to create a spark."

Hound looked miserable at that moment as if he really did blame himself. Mirage reached over and grasped his bondmate's servo in his own. "We will find out what is going on. I am convinced this is not any fault of our own."

"How can you be so sure?" Hound asked sadly. "You were constructed with utmost care. All of your systems are perfect. We can't be sure about mine."

"Hound," Mirage said softly. "You were constructed as a slave. You would have been expected to produce offspring for the financial gain of your master. I know it sounds awful but it is true. I believe your systems are fine as well."

Wheeljack looked at the couple and thought for a while. "I suppose that I can try to help but you must remember that I am not a medic."

"We are fine with that," Mirage told him. "Even if we could find a medic to look at our case, it is likely that news would spread, despite supposed medic-patient confidentiality, and that would put Hound in an unfavorable light. I want to spare him from that."

Hound looked at Mirage gratefully at that and smiled as he sent a surge of love through their bond.

"Two vorns is a long time," Wheeljack pondered. "Okay. Stop by my lab the next cycle and I'll see what I can do." He smiled at his friends, anxious to help them. "In the meantime, how about some more of that high grade, Mirage?"

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><p>The following cycle Mirage and Hound went to Wheeljack's lab. It was quite a sight with components and half-finished projects strewn everywhere. Mirage looked as though he was having second thoughts about this but Hound pulled him into the lab and called for Wheeljack. The engineer emerged from behind a project streaked with ash but in good spirits.<p>

"I searched for what information I could find about how to check your systems. Between that and what I already know from my engineering background, I think I can quickly rule out some of the more common problems."

The couple smiled at that and sat down once Wheeljack had cleared a sufficient area for them to sit. Wheeljack carefully hooked up a number of cables and sensors and told them to simply relax while he checked various systems. After close to half a joor, Wheeljack looked up at them and smiled. "Well, I can verify that you are generating enough charge to generate a spark."

Mirage looked surprised and a bit self-conscious about that. Wheeljack picked up on it and explained, "It's in your log files. You just have to know how to access and interpret them. The medics get annoyed at anyone else knowing how to do it." He fell silent again studying the logs. After a while he disconnected the cables and turned off the monitors. He pulled up a chair and sat facing his friends. "I don't know what to tell you. Both of your log files appear to be normal. You are generating sufficient charge and there are no warnings or errors that would prevent sparking."

The couple looked at each other and then back at Wheeljack. "So there's nothing you can do?" Hound said sadly.

Wheeljack's light fins lit up. "Oh no! Didn't say that at all. It will take some time but I will help you figure this out. With your permission, I would like to make some inquiries." He saw the look of apprehension on their faceplates. "Don't worry, I'll be discrete. I will not provide any information that would reveal your identities."

Mirage nodded. "Please, we need to find out why we have not been able to spark."

Wheeljack looked over at Hound to make sure he had the former slave's permission as well. They left soon afterwards with a promise to keep in touch and even planned a social visit to Wheeljack's home in three cycles. The engineer then turned back to his latest project but half of his processor was thinking about his friends. Something about this situation bothered him but he couldn't quite think of what it was. Something he remembered reading in the news feeds. For some reason, Wheeljack was thinking that he needed to see if he had any contacts in Praxus.

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><p>This is the final chapter of this arc… PLEASE DO NOT KILL ME! It is not my intent to make anyone angry with the developments in this chapter as it is part of a much larger story. Yes, the next arc brings us back to Praxus where Ratchet and Wheeljack try to solve a mystery. (Why are nobles failing to spark?) *runs and hides*<p> 


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